True Beauty
by TheDCStar
Summary: Theodore has been secretly in love with Eleanor for as long as he can remember.  The only problem is Eleanor already has a boyfriend. However, when both Eleanor and Theodore find out something shocking, what will happen next?  ONE SHOT! Read and Review!


**Disclaimer: I do not own Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Chipettes, or anything associated with them.**

**Author's Note: Hey there, everyone! So, I have been extremely lazy these past few weeks and have not updated on anything. I've tried a bunch of times to work on a chapter for one of my stories, but my mind has been in a fog, and my writing hasn't been coming out the way I had wanted it to. So, I wrote this one shot as a way to help clear my mind. One of my close friends on FanFiction, Simon wanna be, helped me with some of the brainstorming for this story. Also, there is a new poll on my profile. Check it out! Anyway, on with the story!**

Another long and exasperating day of higher level education continued at West Eastman High School as the school bell rang, indicating the end of second period and the beginning of free period. The bell continued blaring loudly, and many adolescent students filed out of their second period classrooms and into the red and white colored hallways. Once the bell quieted down, every hall and passage in the building buzzed with social interaction, from jocks joking around with their fellow players and girls gossiping about the cutest boys in school to the intellectual nerds who discussed the different scientific theories of Biology and Chemistry. It seemed like everyone in school had something to say. However, there was one student who didn't seem to be interested in the conversations going on around her.

Eleanor Miller, wearing a short sleeved spring green blouse, knee length, dark green skirt, and black flat shoes, laid back against her dark red locker and held her textbook and notebook tightly to her chest. She rapidly moved her head from side to side in search of her boyfriend, Jeff, whom she had been dating for a month now. He was supposed to meet her at her locker five minutes ago, but he still hadn't shown up. Free period didn't last forever, and Eleanor was really starting to get worried.

_Okay, Jeff. You should be out of class by now. Where are you?_

Feeling her neck getting sore from moving it around so much, the chipette decided to lay her head back and look at the white, gray-speckled ceiling. She closed her eyes and took in a slow inhale of breathe through her nose, exhaling calmly out of her mouth. Her patience was really wearing thin. Jeff may have been sweet, kind, and funny, but he always had a tendency to be late all the time.

_If that boy doesn't show up in the next five minutes, I'm going to go find him myself._

"Ellie?" a voice came through the mass of sounds around her.

With her thoughts disturbed and a small squeal escaping her lips, Eleanor jumped away from her locker and shot her eyes wide open, dropping her books in the process. Her books fell to the white floor with a loud clap, and she placed her hands on her chest, feeling her heart beating fast and irregular from the fright. When she looked up to see who had called her name, a sigh of relief came out of her mouth when she saw her best friend, Theodore Seville, whom she had known since she was eight years old, standing next to her with a small smile on his face.

His hair was slightly messy, and he was wearing a green shirt, blue jeans, and tennis shoes. He held his textbooks to his side with one hand and held up his other hand as if he were being arrested, a surprised expression showing on his face. Eleanor guessed he had no intentions of giving her a fright.

"Oh, Theodore," she said warily, trying to relax her breathing. "You scared me."

"Sorry," he chuckled, bending down to the floor. "I didn't mean to, Ellie."

Eleanor watched as Theodore bent down and began picking up her books. She smiled a little, thinking how sweet the slightly chubby chipmunk was. From the first day they met, she and Theodore became fast friends and eventually inseparable. They did everything together, from going to the movies to even shopping at the mall. Though he wasn't as muscular or skinny as the other boys in school, he still had his own charm as well as his bright green eyes.

But, what Eleanor liked most about him was how caring he was towards her. He has had her back since they were kids, and he was always there for her when she needed him. He was always honest with her, and he was always very kind. To her, Theodore was the truest friend she has ever had, and she didn't know what she would do if she didn't have him in her life.

_I'm so lucky to have Theodore as my best friend._

Theodore slowly began picking up the textbook and notebook Eleanor had dropped, occasionally moving his eyes upward to look at the amazing chipette. When he first laid eyes on her golden blonde hair, her warm chocolate brown eyes, her cute face, and absolutely perfect figure, he knew he wanted her to be his. Not only was she absolutely beautiful, she was very sweet and loving. That's what he truly admired about her.

It was true that he had fallen hard for Eleanor, but unfortunately for him, she didn't seem to see his true feelings for her. Everyday, he tried to tell her how he felt, but every time he built up the courage, he would look into those gorgeous eyes of hers and freeze up. He would stutter like crazy and his mind would go blank. Sometimes, he wished he weren't so scared.

_You're such a hopeless nincompoop, man. Why can't you just tell her? _

With Eleanor's books in hand, Theodore stood up straight and took a few steps towards his secret crush. He handed the books to her, which she took in her hands, holding them close to her chest again.

"Thanks," she said sweetly.

"No problem, Ells," he answered. "It's what I'm here for."

After giving her best friend a bright smile, Eleanor turned her head towards her left and looked down the hallway once again, still searching for Jeff. It was still very crowded so she stood on her tiptoes to look above the heads of all the other students. There was still no sign of her boyfriend, and she was really starting to get annoyed.

Theodore seemed to notice Eleanor's preoccupied stance, and asked, "Looking for someone?"

"Yeah, Jeff," Eleanor replied, turning her head to Theodore then back to the hallway.

Theodore silently scoffed as he laid his back against the dark red lockers. His blood began to boil as he thought of that jerk off, Jeff. At the beginning of Eleanor's and his freshman year, that bozo came right up to Eleanor like he was all that, with his hair all slicked back with hair gel and wearing a black leather jacket, dirty blue jeans and black shoes. Whenever the guy came around, Theodore was usually shoved out of the way, giving him no chance of ever telling Eleanor how he felt about her.

To him, he was nothing but a low life punk, but to Eleanor, he was a total hunk. She had completely fallen for that oily haired, unkempt moron like a ton of bricks, and Theodore had hated the guy ever since.

_That lousy, no good grease monkey ruined my chances of ever asking Eleanor out. I wish he would just disappear._

"Late again, huh?" he asked sarcastically. "Typical. I mean, is he _ever_ on time?"

Eleanor heard the chipmunk's quiet, rude comment, and turned around to face him. She loosened her grip on her books, holding them in one hand while placing the other on her hip. She obviously didn't like what Theodore had said about her boyfriend.

"Really, Theodore?" she asked irritated. "You're pulling an 'Alvin' on me? I honestly thought you were better than that."

"Oh, well, pardon me," Theodore hissed, "but the last time I checked, you've called me at least six times complaining that the guy was always late every time you two had a date. I mean, seriously, who forgets something like that? Oh, I know! _Him_."

Eleanor rolled her eyes angrily, really not wanting to hear what her best friend was saying about Jeff, even if it was a little true.

"He has a name, Theodore," she said infuriated.

"I know," he said looking down to the floor. "I just prefer not to use it. Calling him 'the guy' or 'that guy' seems a little more suitable to me."

"Oh, come on. I've told you a thousand times already that Jeff is a sweet guy. If you would just give him a chance, you might find something you like about him."

"And I've told you a thousand times that I don't trust him," Theodore almost yelled looking back at Eleanor.

Rubbing the side of her head, Eleanor tried her best to keep her calm stature intact and said, "Theodore, please. I don't want to get angry with you. Just…tell me why you don't like Jeff. I mean, what's so bad about him?"

Theodore looked away from her once more and grumbled inaudibly, "He took you away from me."

"What?"

Turning around and opening his mouth, Theodore was about to repeat what he had said so Eleanor could hear him. He wanted to shout out his true reasons he hated Jeff. He wanted her to know that Jeff didn't deserve her. He wanted to tell her…that…he loved her…that he had always loved her, admired her, and cherished her…like a real boyfriend should.

But then, he realized what he was about to do and thought better of it. He looked down at the floor quickly, trying not to be tempted into telling Eleanor about his feelings for her. He knew he couldn't tell her the truth. It would only make him feel stupid, especially since she was already with someone and didn't feel the same way he did.

_She would never feel the same way about me, so what's the point? It's hopeless._

"Nothing," he sighed irritably.

Eleanor stared at the green clad chipmunk uncertainly. Sometimes, she wished that she could read his mind. Ever since she started dating Jeff, he had been acting like a total jerk, or Alvin as she so eloquently liked to put it. She just didn't understand. What was it about Jeff that Theodore just couldn't stand? Why couldn't he trust him? Why did he have to hate him so much? Then, a thought occurred to her.

_Is he afraid that he might lose me as a friend? He should know better than that._

From the long silence between her and Theodore, she had to assume that her guess was pretty close. Eleanor took a few steps closer to her best friend, her shoes just barely clicking against the ground. She, then, placed her hand on his shoulder, which caused Theodore to turn his head back to her.

With a small grin, she looked him in the eyes and said, "Theo, you and I have been best friends since elementary school. You and I grew up together, and nothing could ever get in the way of our friendship, not even Jeff. You're just going to have to trust my judgment. Everything will be fine, okay?"

Theodore tried as hard as he could to listen to Eleanor's words, but when he looked into those deep chocolate brown eyes, he nearly cracked. He wanted to tell her the truth so badly, and the urge grew more and more as she continued her speech. But, he fought the feeling with all his might, and by the time she had finished speaking, it had gone away.

_Man, not being able to tell her hurts. I really hate this._

Realizing she was waiting for him to speak, all he could manage to say was, "Okay."

That response made Eleanor's smile a little brighter, but in all his misery, Theodore could only get by with a small half smile. Then, Eleanor turned her attention back down the hallway. There was still no sign of Jeff, and she let out of frustrated sigh, really not liking the fact that he was late for the fifteenth time.

_I guess this means I have to go find him._

She turned back to Theodore and said, "Jeff still isn't here. Would you like to help me look for him?"

Even though he wanted to say no, Theodore looked into those beautiful eyes again and knew he couldn't refuse her.

"Sure," he said weakly.

With that said, Eleanor grabbed a hold of his arm and began pulling him down the hallway. The two hurriedly passed through the mass of students, briefly getting stuck behind some jocks that didn't even notice they were there. That wasn't really surprising though. The jocks never cared about anyone except themselves.

So, as politely as possible, Eleanor squeezed her way through the group, mumbling apologies as she dragged Theodore along with her. They only had to walk a few feet before turning left onto the first corner. The new hallway they began walking through wasn't nearly as crowded. There was only a small group of girls talking about how dreadful their second period classes were.

"So, where exactly is the guy supposed to be?" Theodore asked uninterested as they passed the girls.

"Well, he should be at his locker," Eleanor answered, yanking firmly on her best friend's arm, "and his locker should be around the corner of this hall. Come on."

Walking faster, Eleanor tugged even harder on Theodore's arm, causing him to release a quiet yelp. She began picking up speed, and he started to fall behind, practically tripping over his own feet as she continued hauling him down the hall. However, he regained his composure just as they turned right onto the next corner into another almost abandoned hall. Only a few people were there, searching in their lockers for the books they would need for their next class.

"Almost there," Eleanor said happily.

"Ellie, slow down," Theodore cried. "You're going to rip my arm off."

Suddenly, Eleanor stopped right in the middle of the hallway, which made Theodore run right into her back.

"Ouch, Ellie," he whined a little furiously. "What the heck? Are you trying to…"

Theodore completely forgot what he was saying when he looked at Eleanor. He felt her grip on his arm loosen until it fell limply to her side. Once her arm was gone, he really noticed her stiff, statue like posture. Shifting his position to look at her face, anxiety started to settle inside him. Her eyes were as wide as tennis balls, growing bigger with each passing second, and her mouth gaped, her lower lip slightly quivering.

"Ellie?" Theodore asked worriedly.

Eleanor showed no reaction to his voice. All he could see was her eyes getting even bigger and her jaw dropping more and more. Her expression was really starting to frighten Theodore, and took his hand and waved it in front of her, attempting desperately to get her attention.

"Ells?" he asked again with one last wave.

There was still no answer or reaction out of Eleanor. Theodore was really getting scared out of his mind. He had never seen her in this kind of state of shock before. Something was definitely wrong. Frantically, he moved in front of her, grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly.

"Eleanor, what's the matter?" he asked looking into her eyes.

When Eleanor didn't make any eye contact with him, that's when Theodore noticed that she seemed to be staring straight ahead, looking at something right in front of her. Shifting his head, he looked down the hallway. It was then he realized why Eleanor had fallen so deeply into such a distressed state.

Only a couple of yards of away, Jeff, the supposedly "sweet" guy Eleanor thought was so great, was lip-locked and most likely playing tonsil hockey with another girl, a tall blonde wearing a very short skirt and a tight shirt. Her arms were all around his waist while his fingers were tangled in her hair. They looked liked they were practically eating each other's faces off, and Theodore was immediately sickened by the sight.

Theodore couldn't believe he was witnessing such a disgusting scene. The display of it just about made him puke his guts out. Despite his appalled feeling, however, he felt rage running through him more than any other emotion. His eyebrows furrowed, his teeth clenched, and his fists balled up forcefully. His cheeks grew hot, and every vein in his body was pumping blood as hot as lava. He knew that punk couldn't be trusted. He knew he was no good for Eleanor.

_Why that good for nothing, lying, cheating, piece of trash! I swear when I get my hands on him, I'm going to strangle him. How could he have done this to Eleanor?_

Theodore gasped out loud when that last thought came to his mind. Eleanor must have been devastated. She had really liked this guy. He was her first love, and now, she found out he was cheating on her with another girl. He wanted to say something to her…he _had_ to say something to her.

"Eleanor," he began, turning his head back towards her. "I can't believe this. I'm so…"

Alarm overtook Theodore when he realized Eleanor was not there with him anymore. She was gone, and he hectically began looking for her. When he turned around to look behind him, he found her running down the hallway at break neck speed. Soon, his legs were taking him in the same direction Eleanor was heading. He ran as fast as he could, knowing he had to catch up to her. Right now…Eleanor needed him.

Warm tears fell down Eleanor's cheeks as she ran down the clear hallway. Though she hadn't been running for long, her legs were already starting to ache. The adrenaline kept her moving though. She couldn't feel the aching in her calves. The only pain she felt was the pain in her heart as it broke in two and shattered into millions of pieces.

The scene of Jeff and that blonde girl making out with their hands all over each other ran through Eleanor's mind over and over again, taunting her with that fact that she had been cheated on and lied to. The memory made her tears fall harder and her chest throb even more painfully. Her head was also clouded with thoughts and questions that she continued asking herself.

_I can't believe I ever fell for that backstabber! That lying, cheating scumbag! I trusted him with my secrets, my life…_everything_, and he cheats on me with some fake blonde? Why? Why did he do this to me? What did I ever do to deserve this kind of humiliation and torture? Tell me!_

As Eleanor slowed her pace down, the image of the blonde Jeff was all over popped into her mind. She remembered the girl had long slim legs, a small skinny waist and tummy, a large chest that any guy would drool over, golden skin, and very silky and shiny hair. Eleanor hated to admit it, but the chick was drop dead gorgeous and any guy's ideal choice of women, and she was dull looking and revolting compared to that super model. It was no wonder Jeff was making out with her.

_She was ten times prettier than me. That's why he had cheated on me. I guess Jeff even lied about liking personality more than looks. He's such a fraud. I hate him._

Without even realizing it, Eleanor had finally stopped in the middle of a deserted hall. Furiously, she threw her books down to the ground, making a loud slap against the stone floor. Tears continued to fall down her cheeks as she fell to her knees, covering her face with her hands. She sunk herself deeper into the floor as she felt her heart breaking more and pain radiating from her chest throughout her entire body.

One of her hands traveled down to her chest, and she clenched it tightly, trying to get rid of the hurt she felt. Unfortunately, that did nothing to help her as she finally lay down on the cold, hard ground and tears fell down her face one by one. She had never felt so weak in her entire life. She just wanted to die, and she clenched her eyes shut, hoping that her wish might be fulfilled.

_God, please take me now. I don't want to feel this pain anymore. Take me._

When Theodore finally reached Eleanor, his heart sank down to his stomach when he saw her tormented condition. Seeing her lying on the ground in a fetal position with her eyes pouring out tears, her hand pressing hard on her chest, and her entire body shaking made him feel so helpless. He couldn't protect from this pain she was going through. He hated that this had happened to Eleanor…his sweet, wonderful Eleanor.

_I wish I could have stopped him. Why did this have to happen?_

Quickly walking over to Eleanor and dropping his books down on the floor, he knelt down beside her and took her in his arms. He pressed her against his chest, pulled her back towards the lockers, and soothingly rubbed her back. Then, he started rocking back and forth in an attempt to calm the heart broken chipette as she grabbed onto his shirt and cried harder. His shirt was starting to stain from her tears, but Theodore didn't care. All that mattered right now was comforting Eleanor and letting her know that she didn't need to be alone when she was hurting so badly.

"Shh, Ellie, it's okay," he whispered. "It's okay. I'm here."

"Why couldn't I see he was a fake?" she sobbed into his chest. "Even you could see who he really was. Why couldn't I? Why?"

"Eleanor, I didn't know my gut instincts would turn out to be true. In fact, I really wish this hadn't happened. This was the last thing I wanted to be right about."

Eleanor lifted up her head up slowly, looking up at the chipmunk. Theodore looked at her bloodshot eyes, tear stricken face, and runny nose, and immediately, his chest felt as if it had just been stabbed with a knife. He really hated seeing her so distraught. He held her even closer as another round of tears fell from her cheeks.

"She was gorgeous, Theodore," she wept. "She was tall and lean. She had long legs, a flat tummy, a huge chest, and shiny hair. Jeff obviously wanted someone beautiful, and he got it. I'm not beautiful, Theo! I'm…I'm ugly!"

Eleanor's head fell back down into Theodore's chest as she bawled her eyes out. His jaw nearly dropped down to the floor when he heard what came out of her mouth. He couldn't believe she had just said those words. Eleanor was filling her head with lies, and it was all that two-timer's fault. Now, he hated that jerk even more.

_She can't possibly believe that she isn't beautiful. She's the most beautiful girl I've ever met…and she needs to understand that._

Putting his hand under her chin and taking it between his fingers, Theodore lifted Eleanor's head from her chest and looked at her face again. He tried to ignore the helplessness he felt again as he looked her straight in the eye.

"Eleanor Elizabeth Miller," he began. "That is a load of crap, and you know it. I don't ever want to hear you call yourself ugly again, because it's not true."

"But…" she sniffled, trying to move her face away from the chipmunk.

"No buts, Eleanor."

As Theodore jerked her chin back towards him, Eleanor looked at him strangely. She had never seen him so forceful or like this. She never saw him mad before either, but looking into his eyes, she could see anger clearly written in them.

"Jeff never deserved you to begin with, Ellie," Theodore continued. "That loser doesn't even know what real beauty is."

"But…that girl…" Eleanor stuttered.

"Is nothing but a phony who only wants one thing," he interrupted, "and when she gets it from Jeff, she will leave him in a heartbeat. Don't let her get under your skin, because she doesn't deserve the attention."

Listening to Theodore's words, Eleanor was just speechless. The thought of her being prettier than that girl Jeff was with was just too inconceivable, yet here was Theodore, who believed that she was the beautiful one while the other girl wasn't. Could it be true that he really thought this way about her, or was he just trying to make her feel better?

"Ellie," Theodore went on, "you are so faithful, so kind, so sweet, so loving, and caring. Any guy would be lucky to have you in their life. You are a man's perfect woman, and you deserve to have such great things."

Again, Eleanor couldn't find the words to say. No one, not even Jeff had ever said such amazing things to her. She never thought she would have heard those words from her best friend…whom she noticed…had the brightest apple green eyes…and the cutest face, and…the kindest heart of anyone she has ever met.

_Why am I seeing all of this now?_

"Am I really…all those things you said about me?" she asked, still a little unconvinced.

Theodore turned up his lips and smiled down at Eleanor. She couldn't help but smile a little too. He had always had a way of making her smile even when he wasn't trying to. She also couldn't help but think how he had a wonderful smile to go along with that cute face.

_Again, how come I've never seen this about him before?_

"Of course you are," Theodore answered truthfully. "You, Eleanor Elizabeth Miller, are the total package. You're a true beauty that any guy would throw himself at, and don't you ever forget that."

Eleanor looked at the chipmunk, replaying his speech in her head repeatedly. She processed and analyzed his speech carefully, but she couldn't find a single fault in them. His tone was two honest and serious to ever be just "comforting" words. He had meant every word, even when he called her a true beauty, which rang her head again and again.

_I'm…a true beauty…_

"Theodore…" she began. "Do you…really think that?"

Thinking about his response, Theodore wasn't really sure what to say. He let go of the chipette's chin, knowing that in the end, there was only one thing he could say.

"Of course I do," he answered. "I've…I've always thought that about you. You're…very…important to me."

Eleanor stared deeply into Theodore's green eyes for, what seemed like to her, the very first time. At that moment, her tears stopped as well as her sniffles. All the pain in her heart disappeared and was replaced with a whirlwind of different emotions. Her heart pounded so loudly that she was sure the green clad chipmunk in front of her could hear it. She had never felt like this with Jeff. What was happening to her?

_Am I…falling for my best friend?_

Looking into her chocolate brown eyes, Theodore wanted nothing more than to tell Eleanor the rest of his feelings. He wanted to say that from the first day they met, he thought she was the most beautiful girl in the entire world. He wanted to tell her, but…his gut feeling told him that now wasn't the right time. She needed time to heal from her broken heart. He knew that he couldn't take advantage of her like that.

_I respect her too much to do that to her. Besides, I don't even know how she feels about me._

Suddenly, a loud bell sounded out of nowhere and Theodore and Eleanor jumped out of their skin at the sound of it. It was after the scare that they realized it was only the school bell ringing, informing them that free period was over. In no time at all, the hall became crowded with students walking towards their third period classes. They watched as students walked by them, unaware of the moment that had just occurred between the chipmunk and chipette.

So much time had past, yet the two of them felt as if time had slowed during this ordeal. They looked back at each other for what seemed like a long time. Eleanor could feel a blush overcoming her cheeks, which was odd for her. Theodore had never made her feel uneasy, but now…she wasn't really sure of anything. She looked down quickly to hide the red in her face, and broke the silence between them.

"I, um, better go," she said, pushing her friend away. "I don't want to be late for physics."

Swiftly getting to her feet, Eleanor walked over to the place where she had dropped her books and picked them up. Theodore, without any better ideas, did the same thing, getting up slowly and taking his books in his hands. When they both stood up straight and made eye contact with each other, neither of them really knew what to say.

"I'll see you around, Theodore," Eleanor finally said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear nervously, "and, um…thanks…for everything."

"No need to thank me," he said, scratching the back of his head, "I mean, it's what I'm here for, Ells."

A smile crept onto Eleanor's face as her cheeks turned a darker red. She looked down again so Theodore wouldn't notice.

"Well, bye," she said as she turned on her heels.

"See you later," he replied.

Eleanor began walking down the hallway, her mind filled with thoughts of Theodore. She had always seen him as a really good friend. He was someone she could go to for anything. She could tell him anything without him judging her. Now, she felt…odd. She felt a little scared and tense. Her cheeks were beet red, and her heart continued to pound in her chest. She knew where all of these feelings were coming from.

_Do I…love Theodore? I mean, I like him…but…he makes me feel…I don't know._

When Eleanor reached the end of the hallway, she stopped and turned her head to look at Theodore again. Their eyes met once again, and the warmth in Eleanor's cheeks grew more. She smiled a little when she saw him smiling at her too, and as she turned the corner, her smile only got bigger.

_No one has ever made me feel like this before. Maybe…Theodore is the one, but I'm not sure. I wonder how he feels about me._

Once Eleanor was gone from his sight, Theodore sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair and walked in the opposite direction to his third period class. He didn't even notice he was still smiling, and with every step he took, it only got brighter.

_One day, I'll tell her the whole truth…just not today. Maybe one day, I'll be brave enough to tell her that I love her. Yeah…one day. _


End file.
